Beating Hearts
by Everliah
Summary: When asked why Lord Voldemort was such a selfish person incapable of any type of love and affection, Dumbledore takes Harry back in time 50 years and shows him, through the memories of others, how Tom Riddle fell for a girl like any other normal boy and how she changed him... I own nothing except the plot, if I owned it I would be living in a castle on the moon! Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

Dumbledore looked curiously at Harry, an eyebrow raised, a small ghost of a smile playing upon his lips.

"Erm... Did you hear me sir?" The young boy asked, pushing his rounded glasses further up his nose.

"Yes, Harry, I heard you. I was merely remembering." He laid his head back a little. "The reason Voldemort became such a selfish person incapable of love and friendship was all to do with when he was more commonly known as Tom Riddle..." Harry nodded slowly, his eyes widening, urging the Professor to go on. Dumbledore sighed. "He was probably starting his sixth year, so it was 1949. Tom was, undeniably, handsome and had a number of girls swooning over him so obviously he had many girlfriends whom he used to his advantage." Harry frowned slightly. "But there was one special person who was different to all the others. Her name was Evangeline Nagini May."

"And why was she different sir?" Harry said quietly but just loud enough for the Headmaster to hear him.

"She was different because he actually loved her... Not at first of course, she was merely another girl but he was intrigued how she didn't seem to like him..." Dumbledore chuckled and stood up, he smoothed his deep purple robes out and walked over to the cupboard containing the Pensieve. He took the magical bowl out and placed it on the desk in front of Harry, who eyed it precariously. Dumbledore chuckled slightly and found out the correct test tube labeled 'Evangeline May' before pouring it in. The water, or what Harry assumed to be water, swirled white as the memories spread out. He groaned wearily, casting a look to his Professor, and stuck his head into the Pensieve. A whirling sensation took over him as his body was pulled back in time, before he knew it, his feet had hit hard ground, Professor Dumbledore standing next to him.

Harry looked around and saw that he was standing in the Hogwarts grounds by the Lake. Under the shade of the very same tree him, Ron and Hermione always used to sit was a young girl around his own age. She had brown curly hair that's tips shone blonde in the sunlight and bright green eyes that sparkled as they scanned the book she was reading. She was beautiful. He heard laughter and in sync with the girl turned his head to look in the direction it came from. There stood a rather good looking brown haired boy and a group of other boys behind him, laughing. The lead one smirked at the girl, eyeing her up and down and she glared at him, blushing furiously. Harry was instantly reminded of Hermione. He frowned as the boys continued to look at her hungrily.

"That, over there, is Mr Riddle and his cronies... and as you can probably guess the young lady they are trying to catch the attention of is Ms May..." Dumbledore said quietly, making Harry jump slightly. He continued to watch the boy who was frowning seeing as his attempts of getting her attention failed miserably. A blonde haired boy stalked over to where she sat and leaned against the tree. When Harry looked closely at him, he had to remind himself he was 50 years into the past, give or take, for standing at the front was a Draco Malfoy look-alike! Evangeline raised an eyebrow looking up at him.

"Can I help you?" She asked irritated. He smirked again, playing with his wand.

"Why, actually yes you can _May_." He emphasized her surname which made her glare even more.

"Oh really Malfoy? Well what do you want?"

"Well... its more what I need..." He smirked, mentally congratulating himself on his cleverness and charm.

"Well then what do you _need_ Malfoy?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"You..." He came closer to her and chuckled slightly as her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet, clutching the heavy book to her chest, and backed off.

"Well you can't have me!" She said confidently, watching his smirk reappear on his face.

"Oh... _Evangeline_ I think you'll find I'm a Slytherin... and I get what I want." She looked at him, disgust written across her face.

"And then what _Malfoy_," she said. "How will you use me then? As your sex toy or as your tutor who does all your homework?" He raised his eyebrows and laughed.

"Well we both know I don't need any help school-wise... and where did you get the idea that I use girls? Hmm?" She raised both her eyebrows at him.

"Nowhere..." she muttered.

"Hm? What was that? I didn't quite catch it!" He smirked as she glared daggers at him. He looked over his shoulder at the group he came from.

'_That must be Malfoy's dad or granddad!" _He thought to himself. Dumbledore must have read his thoughts.

"Yes, Harry, that is Mr Malfoy's grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy." He said wisely. "A little troublemaker he was..." Dumbledore chuckled to himself darkly.

Harry averted his eyes to the scene with Abraxas and the girl. He was very close to her now and was smirking at the glare she was giving him. Suddenly, her eyes turned a vivid red. Harry frowned and Dumbledore smiled.

"A Metamorphmagus. Well half of one at least..." He mumbled. "Every colour her eyes change to means a different emotion. Some, when they are older and more experienced, can change their eye colour and appearance at will...But I very much doubt Ms May can, she's much too young. Red, if I am correct, symbolises anger or danger." Harry looked curiously at her, Malfoy didn't seem put off however and continued getting closer and closer.

"HEY! HEY! GET OFF HER!" Suddenly, out of nowhere a bespectacled black haired boy ran to Abraxas and attempted to pull him off.

"What do you think you're doing Potter?" Malfoy spat at him. Harry's mouth dropped open. Potter?! That would mean that was...his GRANDDAD!? Dumbledore nodded slowly and Harry smiled as he watched his granddad save Evangeline.

"I think I'm helping my friend! What do you think YOU'RE doing Malfoy?" Charlus replied, just as venomously. Malfoy raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Evangeline and smirked when he saw her try to glare whilst looking flustered.  
"Whatever," and with that he strode back over to his Slytherin cronies and they walked back up to the castle laughing. Harry noticed that Riddle was contemplating Evangeline with a look of interest before he followed Abraxas and the rest of the boys back up to the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

Evangeline looked at Charlus curiously.

"I didn't need your help you know..." She said, brushing the creases out of her clothes whilst balancing the heavy book on her arm. Charlus chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, sure you didn't." She glared at him and he laughed even more. She rolled her eyes.

"But...thanks."

"It's fine... Malfoy's a bit of a twat..." She laughed loudly, causing many people to look her way but she didn't seem to care. Charlus' cheeks tinged red.

"Yeah... Yeah he is." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up. "I'm Evangeline by the way...Evangeline May, but just call me Eva." She extended her hand and he shook it.

"Charlus, Charlus Potter." They smiled at one another for a minute. "So do you want to go grab some lunch?"

"Yeah... I'd like that! I skipped breakfast so I am starving!" She held the last word on and the both laughed before making there way up to the castle. Harry and Dumbledore followed them.

(From now on its not going to say anything about Harry and Dumbledore unless something needs explaning e.g: what colours her eyes turn)

They sat down at the Ravenclaw table and starting eating, conversing about everything. They were both in the same year but Eva was in Ravenclaw because of her smarts and Charlus was in Gryffindor because of, as he told it, his bravery. He was a very pleasant person to be around and laughed at everything everyone said. All the way through Lunch, Eva could feel someone watching her and when she turned around her now green eyes met grey ones. Riddle. He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes as a group of his admirers were giggling and watching his every move from further along the Slytherin table.  
"You okay?" Charlus asked, waving a hand in front of her.  
"Yeah...Yeah, just thinking about...things." She replied frowning slightly.  
"What kinda things?"

"Uh...Just homework..." She lied, she had finished all her homework last night. Charlus nodded slowly, not completely convinced. They ate their lunch in a comfortable silence and when they were done they both got up and headed out of the hall.

"So what are you then?" Charlus asked, his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Pureblood...You?"

"Pureblood." He said, looking down at his feet.

"Why did you say you were my friend when Malfoy was getting closer to me?" Eva asked, her brows furrowing.

"Uh... I-I don't know. I just...figured...that Malfoy would...back off if he saw me as your...um...friend." He replied hesitantly, his cheeks reddening. Evangeline smiled and took his hand which made him blush even more.

"Well...Thanks again." They continued walking down the corridor, hands linked. Suddenly a ginger boy with a freckled face ran up to Charlus.

"Charlus! There you are! Honestly! I've been looking for you everywhere! Where've you b-" He stopped, eyes widening when he saw Evangeline holding his hand. "Oh..." He said shocked.

"Eva...This is Septimus Weasley...My best friend." Charlus gestured to the ginger haired boy. Evangeline dropped his head and offered it to Septimus, he shook it.

"Hi, nice to meet you!" She said, smiling. Septimus grinned. Harry was reminded very much of Ron.

"You too..." His ears turned red. "So...Are you and Charlus... you know..." He played with his fingers, looking down at the ground.

"Oh no." Evangeline laughed. They were silent for awhile.

"So... Sep you wanted me for something?" Charlus asked, breaking the silence. Septimus frowned and then opened his mouth.

"Oh yeah! Uh... I don't really understand the Care of Magical Creatures homework...So I was wondering maybe if you'd do it for me?" He said hopefully, more as a question than a statement.

Charlus sighed.

"I'll do it...if you want." Evangeline said, smiling at him. "We have class together don't we? It was the essay on Thestrals right?"

"Uh...yeah...but you don't have to do it for me!" Septimus replied quickly.

"It's fine! You just have to explain what they are and things like that, I did mine in five minutes!" Septimus grinned and ran and hugged Evangeline who awkwardly patted his back seeing as he'd embraced her arms as well. They made their way to the library where Evangeline got straight to work on the essay whilst the boys scoured the shelves looking for something to help them with their potions homework.

_'Thestrals only show themselves to those who have witnessed death. They appear to be a member of the horse family apart from the fact that they are completely transparent therefore the bones are visible. These creatures' diets contain any type of meat and flesh. They are very dominant, especially the males and are extremely protective of their young.'_ She finished the last sentence of the page long essay and grinned happily.

"Done!" She cried, scaring Sep and Charlus who were quietly reading and earning a glare from the librarian.


	3. Chapter 3

They had been in the library for about two hours now, reading and helping one another out on all their homework. Ravenclaws and Gryffindors had multiple lessons together such as Care of Magical Creatures, Transfiguration and Herbology. Seeing as Evangeline had finished all her homework before the boys, she sat reading an interesting book on the Dark Arts. Her legs were crossed as she sat on the cushioned bench next to the bookshelves that rose high to the ceiling.

"Hello." Evangeline jumped, almost dropping the book. She looked up from the old parchment and saw Tom Riddle, a sixth year Slytherin prefect, smirking down at her.

"Hello Riddle," she replied frowning, looking back down to her book. Riddle chuckled slightly and sat down next to her.

"You know, its quite rude not to look at someone when they're talking to you." He had a bemused expression on face. Eva sighed and looked up at him, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Can I help you with something Riddle?" His smirk grew.

"I'd much prefer it if you called me Tom and yes you can actually May," He said looking down at her.

"I'd much prefer it if you called me Evangeline," She mimicked his tone and he glared slightly. "Well, not Evangeline... Eva..." She added after a while.

"No no, Evangeline it is," he replied amused as it was her turn to glare. He knew she hated the name.

"So...What do you want?" She asked, folding a corner of the page she was on and closing the book before reluctantly putting it to the side.

"For you to go to Hogsmeade with me." Eva looked up at him, an eyebrow raised, her mouth slightly open. He bent down low until his lips were level with her ear, his breathing made her shiver. He smirked. "You should close your mouth, we don't want you catching any flies now do we?"

She immediately closed her mouth and glared at him. He smirked and stepped back.

"I'll meet you at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning then- don't be late." He put his hands behind his back and started walking off.

"What makes you so sure I'll come?" She called after him, earning another look from the librarian. He laughed.

"You mean apart from the fact that I'm handsome, smart and its a privelage to be seen with me?" She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You'll be curious." Her eyes followed his figure as it left the library. He had got a point. Looks like she was going to Hogsmeade with none other than Tom Riddle.


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday morning dawned bright and cheery. Evangeline got up and groaned. Today was the day she had her 'date' with Tom Riddle. She knew it wouldn't go down well. Her fellow Ravenclaws would see it as traitorous, going somewhere with a Slytherin. And the Slytherins would feel the same way about Tom. Moreover his 'fan club' of girls constantly trying to get his attention. He was good looking and intelligent, there was no point denying it. But there was something...different about him. He was secretive, mysterious and frankly plain rude and pompous. He was right though. She was very curious as to why he'd asked her...well more like requested her, seeing as he hadn't really given her the choice but simply stated it. She got up after thinking and hugging her pillow and got ready. She decided on wearing a pretty patterned dress.

She left her hair as it was curly and looked fine and just put a tiny bit of makeup on. She did look rather pretty. She collected her white handbag from the end of her bed and made her way downstairs to where she was to meet Tom. And there he was. His dark hair was messy and he was wearing a red jumper with jeans. When he saw Eva, he noticed all the other boys staring and smirked. He took her hand and kissed it gently which made her blush.

_*Harry frowned slightly. He was a gentleman. But Professor Dumbledore had said that he had actually fallen in love with her but it didn't seem like it. It seemed like he was merely showing her off. Dumbledore chuckled._

"_No Harry, he did not love her at this point of the story. He was, as you think, trying to show her off seeing as most boys wanted her. Also he wanted to show Abraxas that he could get any girl he wanted unlike him... Now just watch what happens..."*_

They then walked hand in hand to Hogsmeade. The sun was hot and Tom, being the gentleman, decided to take her to Madam Puddifoot's, the romantic tea shop. When they walked through the door, a bell tinkled softly. Evangeline frowned but then smiled sweetly before Tom noticed. She wasn't into girly and romantic things. But it was the thought that counted.

"So..." Tom said when they sat down on the small rounded table next to the window.

"Why did you ask me to come with you?" She asked, her eyebrows raised slightly. Tom sighed.

"What? Can a boy not ask a girl to come to Hogsmeade with them?" He replied smoothly, in turn raising his eyebrows.

"Well yes... a boy can... but not you..." She looked at him and he laughed.

"Oh really?" He said giving her a doubtful look.

"Really." Her face remained emotionless but her eyes glinted light green and Tom stared into her eyes curiously.

"And why's that?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Because you are incapable of love." She stated simply, shrugging her shoulders. He glared at her.

"Thats not true."

"Oh really? Name one girl you've been with because you actually loved her and not just to have sex with her!" Tom looked shocked and thought for a moment. Or ten. "See! You can't!" She said triumphantly, earning her a glare from Tom. No one had ever had the nerve to speak to him like this. And when they did they either ended up screaming in torture or dead. But... something was different about her. She waved her hand in his face and laughed when he jumped.

"Where were you? LaLa Land?" They both laughed. "You didn't tell me why you wanted me to come..." Her face was suddenly serious. Tom stopped laughing and looked at her. If she really wanted to know...

"I wanted to show everyone, especially Abraxas, that I can get any girl I want... and since you are the most wanted girl in Hogwarts," she blushed furiously and started playing with her hands. "I thought I'd ask you..." He finished, taking both her hands in his.

"But... I-I'm not the most wanted girl in Hogwarts!" She stuttered. Tom snorted.

"Of course not... The reason all those boys were staring at you this morning is because you looked ugly as sin!" Evangeline laughed a little then looked angry. Her eyes once again glinted red and Tom saw. His eyes widened for a second.

"So you're using me?" Tom looked at her.

"I was... But now I've realised you're actually quite a fun, nice person." Urgh what was he saying!? He'd never been like this before unless he was trying to get something but he wasn't trying to get something out of Evangeline was he? Well sure, he could use someone with her brains in his team but she was too innocent and kind. She couldn't kill anyone. Not for the fun of it anyway. So why? Was he saying it to be nice? Or...what? She smiled and laughed at him, causing him to snap out of his thoughts.

"You did it again..." she said, sipping her tea.

"Did what?" He asked bewildered.

"Zoned out..." He chuckled. When they'd both finished their drinks and paid, Tom offered her his arm and she took it. They walked and talked around Hogsmeade, earning many strange looks. She learned many things about him and he, her. He confided in her some of his deepest secrets whom he never told anyone. He didn't know why and when he walked her all the way back to the Ravenclaw common room, he was reluctant to let go of her hand. He had never felt this way before. She smoothed her dress out and smiled at him when they came to the eagleheaded door knocker.

"Well... this is me..." she said gesturing to the portrait.

"Yeah..." he said, his hands in his pockets.

"I had a great time today... Thank you... Tom." Tom looked up, shocked at the use of his forename. He smiled... a genuine smile.

"So did I...Evangeline." She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Eva!"

"Whatever...I prefer the name Evangeline." He laughed at the glare she gave him. Suddenly she stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. He was shocked at first and flinched slightly at her touch. No one had ever touched him so gently and tenderly. He had to resist the temptation to grab her and kiss her on the lips but he did. They said their goodbyes and walked off in different directions. Tom heard her sigh with happiness behind him and smiled to himself... What was she doing to him?!


	5. Chapter 5

"How was your date then?" Septimus asked, bouncing over to where Eva sat at the Ravenclaw table. She swallowed the bacon she was eating and looked up at him and Charlus, who was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Good..." She said simply as Sep frowned.

"Good?! That's all you can say?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes..." she replied, her mouth full again. "And it wasn't a date!" He scoffed and sat down beside her whilst Charlus sat down on her right. These two had become her best friends ever since they met and they shared everything with each other. Septimus, she had learned was a funny bubbly energetic boy and got wound up easily. Luckily though whenever she wound him up he knew she was joking. Charlus on the other hand was loud around people he knew but rather shy around others and always blushed, which Evangeline found cute. He was quite good looking. They were still watching her so she raised her eyebrows and shook her head slightly.

"What?"

"Oh nothing...nothing..." Charlus said, helping himself to some sausages. Eva scowled at him, not believing him. Sep laughed so she turned on him.

"What? And if you say nothing, I swear I will-erm- will make sure you don't have any cheesecake for the rest of the week!" Septimus looked at her, panic on his face.

"Alright alright! First thing... those group of girls over there look like they're gonna kill you..." Eva turned to see he was right. Some of them were actually in tears, she rolled her eyes. "And second thing... Mr Date is looking at you!" He winked and nudged her arm playfully. She looked at the Slytherin table and saw Tom watching her, smirking slightly. She rolled her eyes yet again and turned away.

"You know, if you keep rolling your eyes your eyeballs are gonna keep going round and round and round until they fall out of your head..." She laughed, rolled her eyes again to annoy him and hit him on the back of the head. Charlus choked on the sausage he had been eating and glared at both Evangeline and Sep who were laughing like lunatics.

When they had all finished, they gathered their stuff and made their way to their first lesson of the day. Unfortunately though, it wasn't together. Evangeline had got Potions with the Slytherins next and started to walk down to the dungeons alone. She got to the potions room and saw Professor Slughorn talking to a few of his students, laughing a booming laugh. She looked around and saw Tom was eyeing Slughorn, an annoyed look on his face.

'_Clearly Slughorn is having more fun than poor little Tommy'_' she laughed to herself, earning a few odd glances from those closest to among them. He smirked to himself when he saw her and followed the Potions Master inside the room. Evangeline sat down and started to get her books out when she felt someone brush her arm as they sat down next to her. She looked up and her green eyes suddenly met grey ones. She rolled her eyes and broke eye contact as she sat up. Riddle smirked at the blush slowly creeping up on her freckled cheeks. He knew she didn't like him like his many fangirls did. He looked around the room and caught Amelia Parkinson and Hollie Hildred looking at him, with smitten faces. He smirked and winked at them. As he turned around he could hear them squeal. Evangeline looked at him, her eyebrows raised and sighed, opening her books to copy down Professor Slughorn's notes. Tom looked at her and found himself drawn to her lips. They were quite a dark pink, and very small. He could imagine them pressing against him own, practically feel their softness and plumpness. He had to pull his attention away from her and look at his head of house.

"Tom, m'boy, care to answer this one for us?" Slughorn's voice boomed across the dungeon. All eyes turned to Tom.

"Amortentia is a particularly strong love potion. It causes extremely powerful feelings of love or obsession for the person who gave the drinker the potion. It can't produce real love of course, that's impossible. It smells different to everyone according to what attracts them. For example, I smell a Sunday Roast, Fresh Parchment and... and some sort of flowery perfume...like Lavender..." He sat back down and barely acknowledged the 20 points awarded to his house. The two girls in the background were discussing something and every now and then glanced at Tom, who noticed in the corner of his eye. He made a mental note not to eat anything he got off them two ever again. He had also seen that when he had mentioned the perfume, Evangeline had blushed deeply. He wondered if the flowery smell had something to do with her... He shook his head clear of it when the Professor said that working with the person next to you, you were to create the potion. Evangeline groaned and turned to face Tom, with a fake smile.

"Why hello there partner, you seem to be just as keen on working with me as i am on working with you!" Tom mocked, although secretly he was very happy. She rolled her eyes.

"About the...erm...lavender perfume smell...do you know what it is?" She asked, avoiding eye contact. Tom looked at her curiously.

"No...why?" She blushed a deep crimson.

"Well if you smell my hair you might realise..." She mumbled but then her eyes widened in realisation of what she said. She had just given Tom Riddle permission to sniff her hair. She shook her head and Riddle took this opportunity to take up on the offer. He swooped his head right next to her and inhaled her scent. So he was right! It was her! She hadn't noticed and started when he whispered in her ear.

"You smell lovely." She whacked his head away and huffed, turning slightly away from him but still facing him enough to continue work on the potion.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally they finished the potion, it was a light violet colour when Slughorn came round, inspecting.

"Well, well, well!" He boomed, startling many of the students around him, including Eva whereas Tom stood still, looking impassive. "This is perfect! One drop and the drinker would be doomed!" He laughed at his own joke whilst Evangeline just looked concerningly at him. Luckily, before he realised no one was laughing along with him, the bell rang, relieving them of class. Evangeline grabbed her bag and quickly walked out of the room down to the Great Hall. She made a beeline straight for the Gryffindor table where she notice the shock of red hair and collapsed on the bench next to Septimus. A few of the guys shot curious looks full of jealousy at him when they noticed her sitting with him, causing him to blush under the glares. Evangeline didn't notice though.

"So where's Charlus?" She asked, taking a bite out of a chicken leg.

"Oh... erm... I don't kn- There he is!" He replied, pointing to the bespeckled boy making his way hurriedly to where the two were sitting. The ends of his black robe and hair were singed, his face ashen. Septimus, like most others, didn't bother to hide their amusement and burst out laughing when Charlus slumped down opposite him. Evangeline grinned and took his clenched fist in her hand.

"What happened?" Septimus managed to choke out in between fits of laughter.

"Just had a run in with Mr Head Boy Slytherin Prefect..." Charlus gritted out, taking a handful of chips out of the nearest bowl with his free hand. Evangeline frowned slightly. "Ran into him on the corridors and he thought it would be good to...er...teach me a lesson..." He glared ahead of him at nothing in particular.

_Suddenly, the memory faded, the swirling picture of the Great Hall became distorted and Harry felt his body being pulled towards another memory. This time it showed Charlus' story put to action as he ran down the corridor, eager to talk to Evangeline. His heart fluttered at the mere thought of her. She was perfection. A sudden sharp cold call of his surname brought him out of his lovesick reviere and cause him to __swivel round to come face to face with Mr Girl-Stealer himself.  
"What do you want, Riddle?" He spat, surprising the Slytherin with the use of so much venom when he uttered his last name. Tom smirked, he was at most a foot taller than the Potter boy.  
"Stay away from Evangeline!" He spoke in a low, dangerous voice that scared Charlus more so than it would have done had he been shouting. He looked up into the grey eyes of the Prefect and snarled in a very Slytherin way;  
"And why should I do that?" His upper lip curled in distaste as Tom merely smirked even more. Leaning in so his usually uniformed hair fell down and lightly tickled Charlus' forehead, he felt the Potter boy shiver.  
"Because if you don't, you'll have me to answer to!" Charlus eyed Tom from his head to his toes once before turning on his heel and continuing his abandoned journey. If anything, Riddle was short of furious. No one, and when I say no one I mean NO ONE, ignore him! Not even his Slytherin cronies! Oh no, if he thought he'd be left alone after this little encounter, he's got another thing coming!  
"Oh and Potter?" His silky voice, disguised in the way that made his Professors, all apart from that fool Dumbledore swoon and trip over themselves in entrusting in with purposeful duties, floated across the full length of the corridor. Charlus turned around, almost impatiently, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Twenty points from Gryffindor! I do believe it is against the School rules to have your cloak on fire!" And with a swift fake smile, he left, enjoying and revelling in the failed attempts as the boy behind him tried to put out the fire..._

Evangeline stood up abruptly, and ignoring the two Gryffindor's questions as to what she was doing, her now vivid red eyes narrowed to slits, she stormed over to the Slytherin Table. She didn't notice the students of the house in question give her odd looks of disgust and curiosity nor the way their smirks and snarls took over their faces, she focused on her desired target. Tom Riddle.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why the hell would you do that?" She shouted at him, slamming her hands on the surface of the wooden table. Those close enough gasped as they saw her eyes, blood red and full of anger and hatred. Tom merely smirked in response, looking up into the flushed face of the Ravenclaw girl.  
"Do what?" He asked innocently, glancing at her through his eyelashes, an perfect black eyebrow raised.  
"That stupid innocent facade won't work with me, Riddle!" She snarled, earning a few alarmed looks from those of his followers. Malfoy looked confused more than anything, a question already formed on his lips.  
"What's a facade?" His question made Tom roll his eyes at the stupidity of his Death Eater whilst Eva just replied in a bad example of a mono-toned voice seeing as it was dripping with anger.  
"An outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality!" If anything, this made him even more confused but there was a hint of awe at such intelligence held in the young woman. "Now tell me and tell me the truth, why did you do it?" She managed to get out through gritted teeth as if at that very moment, she was attempting and only just succeeding, and it took her very will being to not launch forward and rip the Prefect's head off his shoulders.  
"I had to teach him a lesson for being rude and ignoring his superiors," he shrugged his shoulders as though it was nothing important which, in effect, seemed to make her more irritated with him.  
"Well, if you're referring to blood purity, it must be the first time you were actually wrong about something! Seeing as he's from a respected pureblood home and you're from a muggle orphanage because your witch mother died and your muggle father left you because of your origins!" She all but screamed, those in the Great Hall that had spectated the whole thing gasped in shock, their eyes widening as they prayed for the Ravenclaw who had to be the first recorded person to ever stand up to Tom Riddle. Something had clearly snapped in him as he stood up silently, his anger radiating off him in powerful waves, catching anyone within ten meters off guard and overwhelming them with a horrible feeling. Much like that of a Dementor except instead of feeling cold, as though all happiness had been shed from the world, they felt a sudden feeling of intense fear and gulped down the breath that had involuntarily caught in their throat. Evangeline didn't even flinch as the golden plate that had previously held her dinner went hurtling her way and a sharp prod at the nape of her neck told her that someone had his wand out in Riddle's defence. She snickered, her nose wrinkling slightly.  
"Oh, does Riddle need defence now? And here I was thinking he was a big bad boy who could fend for himself!" An outburst of laughter echoed through the hall from the Gryffindor table, who relished in the sight of seeing their worst enemy getting bad mouthed by a girl. A faint flush appeared across Tom's cheeks as he hastily snarled at the person aiding him to sit down.  
"I suggest you shut that pretty little mouth of yours or I am going to have to shut it for you..." Riddle finally spoke in the same low, dangerous voice he had used with her friend earlier. She smirked a very Slytherin worthy smirk, leaning forward, her eyes glinted a beautiful shade of purple, showing she was excited about the idea of a fight. Her heart was racing but it was worth it, seeing the expressions and reactions of the boy who had set her best friend on fire as she played and taunted him. She balanced her weight on her arms that had been resting on the table all this time.  
"I'd like to see you try!"


	8. Chapter 8

Before she could register what was happening, a red spell shot at her, making her hand tingle as her wand flew from her grip and right into the hands of Tom Riddle. She silently seethed, her eyes abruptly draining of their purple to return once again to red. Angry was the biggest understatement for what she was feeling. She looked around the Hall, her opponent's fellow Slytherin's were smirking in triumph whilst the three other house members were groaning, all knew she had a huge disadvantage. She wandlessly and nonverbally cast a stupefy at him, sighing when he blocked it easily with a shield charm at the last minute and sent a spell of his own creation back at her, it scraped past her, sending goosebumps up her skin at the close proximity. After five minutes of nonverbal and wandless magic from her part, Evangeline felt the effort take its toll on her and she suddenly felt extremely weary, she kept her shield charm up as he attempted to break it and send more lethal curses her way whilst she thought of a plan...  
Its a good thing her parents were keen on muggle things, she mentally smirked at herself and thanked her parents for this slight advantage she had on him. Evangeline pretended that she was lost for answers and had no plan on what to do next, she shuffled forward, a little bit at a time so it would go unnoticed by those watching her. Quickly, she leaped with one foot on the table and bounced off the other, landing on Tom Riddle himself. He was momentarily shocked but regained his composure as she wrapped her legs around his waist and started attempting to wrestle her wand out of his hand. He snaked his free arm around her waist and held the other one, coincidentally the one holding both the wands, high up in the air, as both knew it was way out of her reach. She felt a moment of pressure as someone squeezed her backside and her eyes widened, she unknowingly arched into him in a feeble attempt of getting away from his groping hand. His followers let out a burst of laughter at the girl's embarrassment as their leader all but molested her in front of everyone. She whipped her head up to meet his and saw his smirk, her eyes flashed brown (a sure sign she was scared). He leaned in so their lips were inches apart and her struggles were futile as he kept an iron grip on her. Her breathing hitched as he lowered his lips onto hers. She refused to respond to him and stayed stock still in his embrace, he soon became frustrated at her stubbornness and after continuously tracing his tongue across the seam of her lips, bit down mercilessly, earning a cry and an opening for him to smoothly up the scale of their make out. He pulled away with his signature smirk to see her looking flustered. Carefully and deliberately slowly, he leaned down so his lips were brushing over her ear. His warm breath made a shiver dance down her spine.  
"I told you I'd shut that pretty little mouth of yours..."  
"Mr Riddle! Ms May! Detention! Sunday night! How dare you conduct such childish behavior in this very hall! I am extremely disapponited in the both of you!" Headmaster Dippet's words rang across the room, breaking the two of them out of their state of shock. Evangeline had the decency to act ashamed of herself as they were scolded, however Tom remained impassive. She rolled her eyes, she wasn't entirely surprised, he wasn't exactly known for his decency, now was he?


	9. Chapter 9

A few days had passed since the incident in the Great Hall, and Evangeline had attempted to avoid Tom Riddle, the devil in disguise as much as possible. Key word in that sentence; attempted, for he seemed to be everywhere she went. Obviously, class was understandable but outside of the grounds where her, Charlus and Septimus liked to hang around was a little bit creepy and even more so on the seventh floor corridor which happened to house their usual hideout (the room of requirement). Whisperings followed her behind her back wherever she went, curious glances she recieved from boys and looks of hatred and envy she got from the girls. Class had just finished and when Eva finally made it to the Great Hall, she plopped down onto the bench at the Gryffindor table with her two friends and groaned, earning weird looks from those who heard. Sep laughed, biting down into a chicken leg.  
"What's got your wand in a knot?" He asked, scooting to the side to avoid a swift kick sent his way by the person in question.  
"Its just him!" She cried, eyebrows raising. "He's everywhere! It's like he bloody stalks me! I mean... honestly!" Charlus was unusually quiet, as he had been ever since the incident. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed heavily, looking up at him through her lashes. "What's up Char?" She asked quietly, only just loud enough for him to hear.  
"Nothing," he mumbled under his breath, reaching forward and grabbing an apple before standing abruptly, letting her head fall carelessly from it's comfy position, and walking rapidly out of the Great Hall. She turned to her red haired friend who seemed unfazed by the whole scene.  
"What has gotten into him?" She spoke in an extremely high pitched voice, due to her bewildered state of disbelief. She glared as Septimus merely snickered into his food. He sobered immediately, knowing the consequences of her wrath.  
"Isn't it obvious?" She shook her head and his face broke out into a massive grin.  
"He's in love with you!" He held the love on like a two year old would, waving his third chicken leg in her face, too close so that she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Her eyes widened as she took in what he had said.  
"No, he...he's not!" She exclaimed, standing up. "That...that is completely barbaric! Preposterous! Impossible... I mean, he's my best friend!" She laughed slightly maniacally. "A wholly laughable idea!" He just looked at her concerned and when she realised he wasn't lying or kidding, a hand shot to her mouth. "You're...you're not kidding are you...?" She already knew the answer however as the Weasley boy shook his head.  
"I have to go find him!" Her destination was the Gryffindor Common Room, however when she was almost there the bell rang signalling class. She moaned and ran as fast as she could down to the Dungeon to face another lesson of Slughorn dropping hints about herself's and Tom's relationship. She got there just on time as luckily, today it seemed old Sluggy himself was late as well and she managed to slip into her seat before he knew she was late. She saw the very bane of her existence smirk at her flustered state and gritted her teeth. Finally their teacher arrived.  
"Sorry, I was late!" He cried, smoothing out and curling his bushy mustache. "Now, today we are going to be doing a practical on Veritaserum! So, who can tell me what that is...Yes, Ms May?" Evangeline lowered her hand, clearing her throat quietly in the process before answering the question.  
"Veritaserum is a powerful truth serum, that is most commonly used in interrogation. The potion effectively forces the drinker to answer any questions put to them truthfully, though their are some methods of resistance. Three drops and the Dark Lord Grindewald would spill his deepest darkest secrets...Of course, use of the potion is monitored by the Ministry of Magic and the use of it on a student is strictly forbidden."  
"Yes, well done indeed there Ms May! 15 points to Ravenclaw!" He boomed happily, clapping his hands together before telling the class they were to work with the person next to them and create a perfect replica of the potion, that could be found on page 20. She busily set to work heating the cauldron at the right temperature whilst her 'partner' fetched the ingredients.  
"Lovely explanation there although you missed out one thing," a low voice purred in her ear. She willed herself not to shudder and managed...just. She tried to seem collected and calm.  
"Oh yes? And what is that Mr Riddle?" She asked mildly, carrying on with their potion.  
"The Ministry is just a bunch of babbling idiots who can't get anything right and this school is hardly any better, therefore the use of Veritaserum could be happening under their very noses..." he whispered the last bit, gently nuzzling her neck. This action stretched her to her limits as she pleaded and prayed for her body not to react in any other way that stiffening...


	10. Chapter 10

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she felt a sudden weary tightness around her wrists and ankles. Her body ached from the uncomfortable position she was seemingly in and had been for a while now. Her arms were tied behind the chair she was sat on and her leg were practically stuck together. She wiggled and gasped at the unbearable pressure the ropes were putting on her skin. What...?  
"Struggling will just hurt you more, my dear..." A silky voice echoed through what Evangeline had come to the conclusion was a large chamber. Growling, she recognized the voice.  
"You know, Riddle, I never saw you as the one to tie your victims up, I always thought you were beyond this measly way." She looked around the hall she was in. On both sides were large emerald snake heads, their mouths wide open leading to who knows where. Shallow water lined the room, leaving about a two meter wide stone path down the middle. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the dankness and darkness of the place, small animal bones littered the floor and a giant blanket-type thing took up most of the space on the opposite side. The pattern looked almost indian and scaly and she registered with a sickly pang of fear that it was a massive snake-skin. Raising her eyes from the shedding, she gasped loudly. A stone statue of Salazar Slytherin rose from the floor to the ceiling. A deep throaty chuckle emitted from somewhere close by and her head immediately snapped to where it came from.  
"Do you like it?" Tom asked curiously, stepping out from the shadows. She glared at him with all the hatred she could muster.  
"Well, actually I think it's a little dirty for you...You always struck me as a clean freak with OCD, obsessive cleaning disorder."  
"Ouch, that hurt." He said with mock sadness and held a hand up to his heart. He strode over to where she was sat and she averted her eyes from him which only resulted in him pulling her hair backwards, hard.  
"What did I say? It is rude not to look at someone when they are speaking!" Tom snarled maliciously, bringing her head back further and earning a cry of pain from Eva.  
"What do you want?" She cried desperately. Tom grinned, but instead of making her feel any better, it made her stomach drop.  
"I want you to stop acting like a bloody hellcat and give into me Evangeline..." Without giving her any time for his words to sink in, Tom leaned down and attached his lips hungrily to hers. She refused to respond once more and stubbornly bit down on his tongue as it entered her mouth, drawing blood. He detached himself from her, bringing a hand to his mouth as he tasted the usual metallic taste before backhanding her.  
"Why couldn't you have just approached me in the corridors like normal people do?" She bit back a sob as her, no doubt, red cheek began to throb painfully.  
"If you have forgotten, I did try that! But someone had to be adamant and stubborn!" His hair was disheveled unlike being normally uniformed and perfect.  
"I would have gone out with you again! I had fun! But then you had to ruin it by playing the Big-I-Am and threaten my friends! You don't set a girl's friend on fire!"  
"Well, I'll do good to remember that if there is a next time." He said, waving it away, grin still in place.  
"If there is a next time...?" Evangeline hesitantly asked, already anticipating the answer.  
"Yes, my darling, you should know I do not like repeating myself! But what I mean is that there probably will not be a next time after you..." he replied, almost lovingly caressing her cheek.  
"I won't be with you Riddle!" She jerked her face away from his touch as though it burned her and his anger grew to the level where he just couldn't contain it. He slammed his hands down on either side of the chair and looked her in the eye, his tone low and dangerous.  
"Join me, Evangeline. Your power and skill you showed in the Great Hall are exemplary, my force could do with people like you. And no one would dare hurt you for you would be mine! We will take over the Wizarding Word, getting rid of all muggles and mudblood scum alike! We will be feared! Everyone will be frightened to hear the name... Lord Voldemort!" Evangeline shivered upon hearing the slightly manic expression he used when announcing his plans. Never in a million years would she let him kill innocent people! But... she had an advantage to him. He wanted her so maybe...  
"Join me, Evangeline..." she felt the ropes holding her in place slacken and snake onto the floor. Gingerly she stood up and took the outstretched hand, offering a small smile. Tom's eyes widened, clearly he hadn't been expecting it to work but it did... Evangeline was now officially a Death Eater.  
'I hope I know what I'm doing,' she thought to herself as he slammed their lips together...


	11. Chapter 11

A few days had passed since the incident in the Chamber of Secrets and Tom and Evangeline were seemingly stuck to the hip by glue. Everywhere Evangeline went, whether it was taking a walk in the grounds, just strolling around the corridors, Hogsmeade, a teacher's office, the Great Hall; everywhere, Tom was always with her. The only times she had any private time to herself was in her classes that weren't joined with Slytherin and when she sought out privacy at the Ravenclaw Tower. Although, Tom usually found her so now, she only got the chance the be in her Common Room to sleep.  
It was a Sunday Morning and Tom and Eva walked into the Great Hall. The normal loud chattering and buzz of students quietened slightly, upon the arrival of the new couple. Riddle's fan club shot jealous looks of anger and envy Evangeline's way, while Tom retaliated, by sending glares at any boys who dared so much as glance in her direction. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist. She carefully tried to untangle herself from his grasp and was starting to walk over to the Gryffindor Table where Septimus and Charlus sat until an iron like pressure gripped her arm. She was spun round and immediately pressed against a hard side, small soft lips pushing against her own. They stopped.  
"And where do you think you're going?" Tom mumbled, applying small kisses to her cheeks and neck.  
"I thought I was going to sit with my friends..." She replied, gently pulling Tom away by his head.  
"No, my friends are you're friends, you will sit with me," and before she so much had time to send an apologetic smile over her shoulder, she was being dragged over to the far table, where the Snakes sat. Tom swung his legs over the bench and sat down, picking Evangeline up by the waist and lifting her over the bench as if she weighed as much as a feather, before placing her on his lap. His fellow Slytherins snickered at their leader's behavior who sat, eating a piece of toast, as though it was nothing. Although, the smirk on his face gave it away. Their laughter increased when he brought his free hand up to rest on her chest. She shifted uncomfortably to try and convey the message she didn't like this new action, without verbally voicing anything. A couple of minutes later, when Tom had finally finished his breakfast, he lifted her up in a similar fashion as to how he put her there, and they walked, arm-in-arm, out of the Great Hall.  
The sky was a bright blue, there was no sun but the grass and water was illuminated in a golden beacon of light. The Lake rippled gently as the unknown creatures of the deep sent vibrations to the surface. Clouds of all shapes and sizes littered the sky, floating along carelessly, not taking any notice to the world below them, nor to the two young students sat out on the grounds.  
The girl sat with her back against the trunk of a small, spindly tree, her eyes closed as she hummed a soft tune and played with the boy's hair, whose head was gently resting in her lap. To any passer-by's who happened to be looking on, the position would have appeared comfortable, sweet and, dare I say, loving.  
Tom's usual uniformed hair was sticking up in every direction thanks to the small fingers running through it, his eyes were closed, a small contented smile quirked his lips. He opened one eye when he heard a beautiful melodic laugh from somewhere above him. Evangeline looked down at the bane of her existence, Tom Riddle, and could barely contain the laugh she was holding in. His hair, that she was used to being so neat and perfect was everywhere, in spikes erupting out of his head. He studied her as she continued to giggle and style his hair. He reached up and tucked a stray curl behind her ear as she sobered looking down at him. They both started to lean down...  
"Well, if it isn't the two Lovebirds!"


	12. Chapter 12

The pair looked up to see a boy, clad in Gryffindor robes sauntering towards them. His dark black hair was it's usual messy style and his glasses were resting upon his small nose.  
"Char!" Evangeline cried, smiling, making a move to get up when Charlus glared at her.  
"Don't you 'Char' me, May!" He spat maliciously and the latter's eye's widened almost comically before settling in a confused frown. Tom kept his head laid in her lap and merely looked backwards at the Potter Boy.  
"Really Potter," he drawled, sighing as if he thought the whole situation a waste of his time. "I think it would be better if you leave myself and Evangeline alone." The girl looked between the two, lost.  
"What got into you, Charlus?" She asked quietly, looking at her hands that were fiddling and playing next to Tom's head.  
"What's gotten into ME?!" He all but yelled. "I think the big question here, is what's got into YOU!" That was it. Her eyes flashed red and she carefully lifted Tom's perfect head off her lap and stood up.  
"And what do you mean by that, Potter? Be careful and think before you answer because I might have to just hex your balls off right here, right now!" She spoke low and dangerous, however calm nonetheless. Her eyes flashed and Charlus felt some of his courage waver.  
"What I mean by that, May," he mocked, copying her exact tone and words. "Is how you're suddenly hanging off the arm of the biggest Snake in this school!" Whilst she knew this was true and didn't actually feel anything towards Tom, she instantly jumped to his defense, earning an unseen smirk from the boy the argument was based on.  
"Care to expand on that?"  
"Yes, actually, if you insist! I don't know why you let him fondle and molest you in front of the entire school, nor why you're actually under the impression that he cares but I assure you, you are nothing more than another little whore to him, to do as he pleases. So don't you come to me when he's decided to have his wicked way with you and throw you out and expect me to care, because I promise you I won't!" Evangeline let the words sink in and when Potter started to sneer triumphantly, she stepped forward and slapped him. The deafening 'crack' echoed through the air, and even Tom inwardly cringed as the red handmark started to appear on his cheek. She stepped backwards. One strand at a time, her hair began to lift up of it's own accord, the very air around her seemed to crackle at the intensity of her magic. It fizzled and Tom stood, in awe, watching as her magic made the atmosphere tense and suddenly thick. Potter looked shocked at his ex-friend and Tom took this moment to intervene and tease him even more. He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, placed his lips on her neck and gently sucked, emitting a groan from his girl.  
This had the effect wanted as Potter reddened considerably so both his cheeks were a vivid scarlet. He huffed, turning and stormed up the grounds into the castle. Tom turned her around to face him and kissed her nose softly. Her fists were still clenched and he knew she was still angry as the air around them was still ruffled almost.  
"I can't believe the nerve of that boy! Honestly, and I called him my friend!" She bristled...

Later on that night, as Tom lay in his bed in the Head dorms, he thought about the events of the day. She was definately a valuably asset to his team. However, he thought today, when he was lying in her lap, he was a bit too comfortable. Yes, she was a lust-worthy witch, with a beautiful body and face, her power was another important factor as to why he wanted to recruit her. Although, he had started feeling this small tug at his heart when she initiated something so simple as a hug. When she had touched his hair and unknowingly, so it seemed, ran her fingers through it, he felt at peace. That night he dreamt of the Wizarding World as he'd often fantasized it like. Dark, sinister, with all mudbloods and muggles either dead or crawling on their knees, begging for forgiveness as his pureblood death eater's mercilessly cruio'ed them but then, ahead of him was a light. And as he sat on his throne made of mangled, mutilated bodies, he squinted when a woman came into focus, her eyes looked at him with disappointment and...pity? He felt angered at the last emotion, Lord Voldemort did not need nor want Pity! He softened however when he saw tears trickle down her cheeks and just as he went to call out to her, a curse hit her square in the chest. Her eyes widened slightly, and she fell back. He felt something stinging his eyes and woke suddenly, sweat pouring down his forehead, along with something else... something he wasn't used to...tears. That night, Tom did something he'd never done before...he cried.


	13. Chapter 13

Evangeline woke with a start. Her hair was sticking to her forehead, and her breathing was rapid. She gingerly sat up, bringing a hand to her forehead to feel it burning and bringing it away hastily, as if burned. She groaned and laid back down on her pillow, with the intention of going to sleep. After a couple of minutes, she came to the conclusion that this was, in the simplest of words, impossible. Taking care to be as quiet as she could, she slowly drew the curtains back around her four poster bed and, feet slipping into slippers, grabbing her wand, she proceeded out the common room.  
"Lumos." A bright light ignited at the tip of her wand, illuminating a meter either side of her and ahead. She'd only ever ventured out of the safety of her room at night twice before. Once when she was bored and wanted a book to read from the library and the other time, when she was sneaking out to meet someone at the Astronomy Tower, both times she had been close to being caught so she'd refrained from doing so again. To be honest with herself, she didn't know where she was going or why she was out only that she needed to do something to diffuse the growing boredom and for once in her life, reading wasn't the solution. She silently crept across the stone floors, having the sense to cast a muffling charm so, was she in need of a quick getaway, she could do so without being cautious of making any noise.  
"Turn that light off!" An irritated gruff voice somewhere to her left exclaimed, making her jump violently. She shone the wand closer to where the sound came from hesitantly. "Do you not understand simple english or are you simply stupid?" There it was again, this time however, it did not frighten her, only confirm her suspicions. An old man with a grey groomed beard and large black hat on his head was scowling down at her through blue eyed slits. He was wearing a medieval brown robe with white cuffs around the wrists and neck. The portrait had a beautiful golden frame surrounding it, making Eva believe he was a rather wealthy important man before his demise. She tilted her head as she looked at him, studying the details of his picture, he had many wrinkles that was for sure and small prune-like lips that were pursed in a tight manner so that they almost weren't visible among the tangles of his facial hair. She hurriedly turned her wand's tip away from the man's face as she realised she had been pointing it at him all this time.  
"I'm sorry sir," she said, looking up at him.  
"No worries my dear." He replied in a rather guarded, stoic voice. "If I am not mistaken, students are to be in bed at this time of night..." He peered down at her, curiously, his gaze accusing so she bowed her head.  
"No, your correct but I could not sleep... So I decided to find something to occupy my mind..." Sh trailed off, knowing she'd been caught out. He could easily yell for Pringle, the current caretaker, or worse...the teachers. His expression remained firm through her excuse although gradually softened as she looked bashfully at her shoes.  
"What has been troubling you, my dear?" He asked softly, smiling. The one simple gesture offered Evangeline a warm sense of comfort as the smile lit up his entire face, making him look overall youthful once again. His blue eyes sparkled with a passion of joy and happiness that she had only ever seen in Dumbledore's. Without knowing she was doing so, she offered him a smile of her own. However, it soon dissappeared as she answered his previous question.  
"I...I had a dream," Eva started, frowning slighting.  
"About what, may I ask? I often find it easier to cope with things like that by telling someone..." She scrutinised him for a moment, he was so much like her Transfiguration Professor, it was rather uncanny.  
"In my...dream, I suppose I should call it, it was a... gathering- no, more of a...an initiation. I didn't see anyone's face as they were all wearing black cloaks and when I got the chance to see, I noticed they had silver facial masks on. Their...leader...was torturing and attacking people. He was sat on a...a throne of mangled...muggles." She choked out, seeing the old portrait staring down at her in shock.  
"My, my dear, that is a worryingly disturbing dream for someone of such a young age..." he chuckled uncomfortably, and Evangeline joined in before stopping quickly.  
She looked up at him and stated, her voice weary,"I don't even know your name..." This time he did laugh and bowed in a mocking fashion. "Theodore Jervan Chavaller (pronounced shav-ller), at your service, m'lady." Evangeline smiled up at him and did a small curtsy.  
"Evangeline Nagini May, pleasure to meet you Mr. Chavaller!" He waved a hand at her.  
"Please, my dear, call me Theodore! Mr. Chavallar makes me sound like an old man!" He winked at her before gaining a solemn expression. "But, if you will quell my curiosity, where were you in this dream?" This question brought Evangeline up short, her body tensed. She had not expected this question.  
"I...I..." She sighed. "I was the one attacking them!"


	14. Chapter 14

It had been a day ago when Evangeline had been acquainted with the portrait of Theodore Jervan Chavaller and, once again, she was woken by the nightmare. This time however it had seemed so much more real, the high cruel laugh emitting from her mouth as the endless victims curdled screams filled the silence of the cold night's air was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She sighed, biting her lip, in deep thought before slipping her feet in her slippers, pulling on her dressing gown, lighting her wand and carefully, silently, making her way out of the Common Room. She tip-toed along the corridors, ears strained for any slight noise. She came to the end of the corridor and turned right, speeding her pace up a little as her eyes landed on the familiar portrait. Luckily he was already awake, beaming down at her over his large bushy eyebrows.  
"Why, my dear, I didn't expect you to come again tonight!" He whispered, cautious not to alert anyone else, as most of his neighbours were seemingly in deep slumber.  
"I couldn't sleep again," she frowned, nose crinkling as she did so.  
"You walked past my portrait earlier, don't you know," he said, bemused by something, a knowing look printed on his face.  
"Oh, Theodore, I'm terribly sorry! How rude of me to not even say hello! I-" she stopped abruptly as he held up a hand to silence her, chuckling softly.  
"Now, now, it's quite alright my dear. The very thought of you coming to me to seek comfort in the middle of the night is polite and pleasant enough, but what I meant, is that I saw you...with Mr. Tom Riddle." His eyes widened slightly and Evangeline automatically had the feeling of a child being caught out.  
"Yes...uh, he's my...my friend." She mumbled awkwardly.  
"He looked more like a friend to me," he said quietly, to himself, although Eva caught it and blushed. "Now, I may hardly know him, what with being a portrait and all...But he's something, Evangeline. And by something I mean trouble." He nodded wisely and she looked up at him, confused.  
"How would you know?" She asked curiously.  
"My other frame happens to play residence in the notorious Slytherin Common Room and whilst I do tend to stay here, I often float over there once in a while, and almost every time, he is there. Blackmailing his fellow students! Now I'm not saying you should cut off all contact from him," he added, noticing how Eva had opened her mouth to speak. "Just be wary of him, that's all. It may be too soon, but you are as much as daughter to me as I am a father to you, and I don't want to see you getting hurt." Evangeline smiled gently up at him, a new warmth slowly spreading inside of her, sending a feeling of happiness and a new sense of comfort everywhere it could get to.  
"I don't really like him, you know... But I have a plan... I've been...dreaming things lately, like I said last night, but I just know they have something to do with Tom. I don't know how...I just sense it... And-" she stopped,, suddenly aware of the fact that she was not alone, as she saw Theodore's eyes fixed on something far to her right, luckily out of earshot. She turned to look and although, it was impossible to distinguish the features of their face, the flash of blonde hair was undeniable.  
"Well, well, well if it isn't Miss May out for a midnight stroll." His drawl echoed across the corridor as did his footsteps as he came closer until he was a meter away. He was a good few inches taller than her. She raised her wand, knowing she'd have no chance to battle him and win without it only to have it fly from her grip. He smirked at her shocked look, tucking both his and her wand in his back pockets. He came closer until she was backed against the wall and not a hair could come between their chests. His arms lifted up to rest casually above her shoulders, barricading her in. It may seem like a comfortable gesture but the message was bold and clear, 'you're not going anywhere'. She raised her chin in defiance, glancing sideways to see that Theodore had gone from his portrait, before staring him in the eye.  
"You haven't got your little Potter friend with you now," he lowered his lips to her ear and she involuntarily shivered, "there's no one to hear you scream." His words were like an icy breath of wind wrapping her up and slowly but surely squeezing the air out of her lungs. He brought his lips to hers and she refused to co-operate, thinking he would stop sooner with no response, but as he started undoing the buttons of her dressing gown, she understood fully the meaning of his last sentence. He was going to rape her.  
"I stood by what I said, May. I'm a Slytherin...and a Malfoy on top of that, I get what I want." He started to undo his own shirt, pinning her to the wall with his body. As he reached to pull her nightgown over her head, she spat at him, enraging him. He brought his hand back, face red with anger, hissing in disgust. She clenched her eyes shut waiting for the pain to sear her cheek...but the contact never came. She opened her eyes to see Tom Riddle stood to her right, holding Malfoy's arm and stopping him from hurting her. Hi eyes flashed with such anger and hatred it made her shiver slightly but otherwise, his face was calm.  
"You should know better than to touch something that isn't yours without your permission. What you your dear father say if he ever found out that you had the intentions of raping a fellow student. In fact, scratch that, what would Headmaster Dippet say, I wonder?" Malfoy looked as though he had been smacked across the face after the comment referring and insulting his blood. Tom let go of his wrist and lazily flicked his wand.  
"Stupefy." Evangeline watched as Malfoy's body fell to the floor before she was pulled flush against someone's chest. His heartbeart was rather fast, but other than that, it would seem the the previous events hadn't affected him in the slightest. She gently turned her head to see Theodore back in his portrait, smiling sadly down at them. She mouthed a thank you to him before wrapping her arms around Tom, and letting out all her tears.


	15. Chapter 15

Sobs racked her body as she sat, back leant against the wall, head in hands, crying. Tears stained her normally pale cheeks, giving them a red, puffy look, her eyelashes congealed.  
She hadn't intended on coming here to cry her eyes out, in all honesty she hadn't really intended on doing anything at all, but after a day at the Library, reading in a failed attempt to try and distract her mind from what happened to her on that night. In simple terms, the events of that night had shaken her up, good and proper. Her eyes were having a hard time staying open so much so that they were painfully stinging, bringing tears, so she'd decided almost reluctantly that she'd done enough reading for one day. With heavy feet, she'd wandered around the Hogwarts halls aimlessly, finally stopping in an empty corridor when the salty tears threatening to spill blurred her vision that she lost all sense of direction, her dignity and what little restraint she had from not sobbing uncontrollably left with it. She'd collapsed and here she was now.  
She was thankful that Tom had turned up, although in an odd sense, she was also slightly scared that he had. If he had been any later, she would have been left for him to find, bloody, unconscious and thoroughly mortified on the once polished floor. However, she was sure that Malfoy wouldn't get away with it. In fact, now she thought about it, she hadn't seen Malfoy since then and whilst she hated him with everything she had, she still couldn't face the idea of someone getting tortured to the point of insanity. Her sobs had subsided slightly, leaving her in sniffles, hastily rubbing her nose. Suddenly, she felt a light weight around her shoulders, bringing her flush into something firm. Tom. She looked up at him through half-lidded eyes that were red from her previous breakdown. And, when he met her gaze, his black eyes held something over than a hard blankness. Something that Evangeline had never seen, his eyes held a strong, powerful emotion. Sadness. He held her close and let her cry into his shoulder, burrowing her head as far as it would go into his collar bone, as if trying to get away from the world, even if just for a second. As Tom looked down at her, he knew she wouldn't have the guts to ever hurt anyone. He could have killed Malfoy for leaving her in such a delicate state, for making her cry like this. He may have been his most loyal follower but even Malfoy didn't know when he was pushing it or not, and he often was.  
"What did you do to him?" Her question was muffled as she brought her head out of his jumper and looked away to her left, away from him. He felt a twinge of disappointment that she wouldn't look at him.  
"I taught him a lesson." He replied blandly. The lack of information made her turn to look at him, just like he'd wanted. When he looked at her eyes, he saw the warning in them. "I used a curse on him," he supplied quietly and she narrowed her eyes at him, a frown playing about on her brow.  
"What curse?" He hesitated, torn between what to do. He could either lie, though she would most likely see through his façade, or he could tell her the truth though he knew she'd be outright disgusted at the curse he used.  
"Its one I created," she raised an eyebrow, signalling for him to continue. "It breaks and dislocates every bone in the body, everything that can be broken without crucially killing the victim, before putting them back together. Whilst the curse cannot actually physically kill the victim alone, most will end up begging to be killed from the excruciating pain or be driven to the point of insanity and lose their minds quite literally if held under it long enough. I call it..." he lowered his head to her ear to whisper the next part of his explanation to her. "The Cruciatus Curse." She shivered involuntarily, but whether from the close contact or from the thought of the pain, Tom did not know. Evangeline pushed him as far away from her as she could, shuffling backwards since she wasn't at all strong and wrapping her frail arms around her body. This made him angry, no-one pushed Tom Riddle away.  
"Where did you find information on how to do all that...?" She asked quietly, curiosity laced into her tone. He expected questions, not this particular one however.  
"There is such a thing of Dark Arts, darling." She glared at that pet name but scoffed all the same at the mention of Dark Arts. "What, not a fan of Dark Arts, love?" Eva rolled her eyes.  
"No! Not at all, why would I b-?"  
"Join me." He cut her off and normally, without a doubt, she would have scolded him for being so rude. Now, she was merely gaping at him; clearly at a loss for words.  
"I-I mean... that's completely- no! Why would I ever...-?" She shook her head. "No, Riddle!" He almost laughed. Just minutes ago, she was all lovey-dovey with him and now she'd resorted to calling him by his last name again. Typical.  
"And why's that?" He queried, tilting his head and frowning.  
"Because!" She looked flustered, her hair sending off magical sparks of electricity. "Because I am a good person, Tom. I am!" She added when he began to smirk. "I do not use and will never use curses nor potions that come close to being related with the Dark Arts!" She hissed menacingly at him, angrily pushing a loose tendril of hair back behind her ear.  
"What? So you believe the Dark Arts are solely used for evil?" He questioned.  
"I- What? Well of course, I mean..." She trailed off, biting her lip in deep thought.  
"For example, if there is a branch of Dark Magic that benefits someone and most everyone in some form, you would still not use it because it is classed as 'Dark'?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes at his thinking. She refused to answer so he took it as an opportunity to continue.  
"Do you really believe there is only bad and good, only black and white, with no grey area in between? Do you think that the grey area in between doesn't exist? There is only a firm line between the two for those who think it, but you'll find that even your precious Dumbledore has crossed that line far too many times!" Without another word, Evangeline stood, sending a glare in Tom's direction, before walking away.


End file.
